Small One
by summers2004
Summary: Two X-Men are sent to retrieve a new mutant.
1. Prelude

AN: I really don't know where this story came from. Once I got the idea though it wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it. Hope you guys like it. It's my first attempt at an X-Men fan fic.

Sarah sighed and lowered her book so she could keep a better eye on her huge Golden Retriever. Austin was sometimes a handful but he always made up for it with his sweet and goofy temperament. Just as Sarah was about to call out to her dog to come back inside a wave of nausea washed over her. _Damn! I've been having attacks of nausea and dizziness for a while now but never this bad!_ Sarah thought fighting down the sudden nausea. As suddenly as it had come the wave of nausea released her.

"Austin! Let's go inside!" Sarah called slapping her thighs for emphasis.

Austin looked over at Sarah who had already started to make her way to the front door and immediately started running full tilt to catch up to her.

"Hey! Slow down!" Sarah called to her dog as he raced by her.

Stumbling slightly as her dog had almost knocked her over, Sarah opened the door to the house she had inherited from her parents. It was a one-story ranch. White vinyl siding covered the entire house with the exception of the windows. The front window was slowly starting to show signs of rot, but other than that the house was in pretty good shape.

Sarah went into the kitchen and grabbed her dog his requisite cookie. She picked up her book from where she had left it on the counter. On her way to the living room she paused and checked for messages on her answering machine. _Nope. No messages. No one loves me._ She joked to herself. Sarah swallowed a sudden lump in her throat as she remembered that she had no family to leave her messages or tell her how proud of her they were since she had managed to finish high school. _Yeah and I was the only damn kid there without a family. My other relatives could've come but no, they had too many other things to do than worry about me. Not that I'm bitter about it or anything._ Shaking her head to chase away the dark thoughts Sarah sank onto the couch and began to read. _At least this gives me a way to escape from everything. _Sighing Sarah prepared to forget about everything for a few hours.

Sarah was half way into her book when she heard the knock on her door. _Who the hell could that be?_ Sarah thought irritated. _It better not be one of those damn salesmen I keep having to turn away._ Grumbling, Sarah opened the door.

AN: Ooh! Who do you think it'll be? Don't worry the X-Men will start to come in to the story by the next chapter. Things will start being explained in more detail and hopefully will start to make sense.


	2. First Steps

AN: I've gotten to the second chapter and maybe people will start to review once they read it. Who knows? Stranger things have happened. ^_~

Professor Xavier had briefed Logan and Ororo about the developing situation occurring over in Worcester, Massachusetts. Professor Xavier couldn't really tell them what they were going to be dealing with, as he didn't know himself. All he could tell them was to be careful and to make sure the girl didn't come to any harm.

_Nice of him to know what was going on before sending us out there?_ Logan grumbled. It wasn't as though he wasn't used to going into situations not knowing what they were up against but this seemed different somehow.

"Logan, are you ok my friend?" Ororo asked breaking into his thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm fine darlin'. Where did he say this place was?" Logan asked grumpily.

"Worcester, Massachusetts. We are almost there now." Ororo informed him ignoring his bad mood.

"Where are we gonna put this thing down? From the information we got this is a moderate sized city. Seems like a helicopter touchin' down might attract some notice." Logan commented.

"There is an airport not too far from the target location. According to my data it is currently not in use. We can land there with little hassle and use the cloaking device to ensure our privacy." Ororo countered with a tiny smirk.

"Alright darlin' ya got me there. Let's get this show on the road. Any ideas on how we're gonna approach the kid?" Logan asked.

"Simple. We go up to the front door and ring the bell or knock." Ororo stated.

"It's your game plan 'Ro." Logan replied as the helicopter touched down.

"Yes it is." Ororo replied stepping out of the plan. Once they had made sure the cloaking device was attached and working properly Logan and Ororo exited the airport, found a pay phone and called a cab.

About fifteen minutes later they arrived at their destination. Making sure to keep themselves hidden they peered in one of the front windows. Inside they saw a petite girl. She looked to be 14 or so but from the limited data the Professor had managed to get them she was at least 18. She had light brown hair that fell in waves to somewhere around her waist. She was short, probably around five feet tall. They couldn't see what color eyes she had as they were turned downward, studying a book. She was slim and looked to be slightly underfed. After looking around for a bit, Ororo came to the conclusion that the girl was the only one in the house.

"Can you smell anyone else in the house Logan?" Storm asked knowing that he could pick up on things she had missed.

"There's no one else in the house. She's got a dog though." Logan remarked after sniffing the air a bit.

"Alright, that is fine. Let us go inside then." Ororo suggested straightening out.

They knocked on the door neither one of them knowing what to expect nor how much it would come to change them.


	3. Start of Something New

Sarah looked at the two people who had come to her door. One was an extremely tall woman with black skin and shockingly white hair. As if contributing to her strangeness she had bright blue eyes. The man next to her didn't put her at ease either. He was short and stocky with hair that stood up in points at the side of his head. He looked like someone Sarah wouldn't want to mess with especially not alone, at night, in a dark alley.

"Um...can I help you?" Sarah asked while attempting to keep her dog at bay.

"It's ok...you can let him out. I can handle him" Logan said with a smile.

"If you're sure." Sarah said skeptically moving aside to let her dog pass.

"To answer your question we are here simply to speak with you." Ororo said.

"About what? I don't believe I know you." Sarah replied.

"I am Ororo and my associate here is Logan." Ororo answered.

"We wanted to talk to ya about yourself." Logan said while petting Austin.

"About myself? What do you mean?" Sarah asked confused.

"May we step inside? It might be more comfortable." Ororo suggested.

"Uh...oh...right...of course. Please come in and sit down." Sarah said gesturing them inside.

Ororo and Logan walked inside and sat on the couch. Sarah crossed over to the green armchair in order to face them. She noted how well her dog was getting along with Logan. Even though he got along with most people, Austin was generally a good judge of character.

"Looks like he really likes you." Sarah joked gesturing over to Austin who had his head in Logan's lap.

"Yeah, guess he does." Logan said with a shrug.

"Now, what did you want to talk with me about that you couldn't mention outside?" Sarah asked.

"We are part of an institute for gifted students. We have done some research and feel that you would fit in well with our school." Ororo said.

"How did you know where I live?" Sarah asked suspiciously.

"Here...this'll explain a bit." Logan replied handing her a manila folder.

Sarah opened the manila folder and was shocked at what she found. Finally she began to laugh.

"What's so funny kid?" Logan asked.

"The only thing about me in this thing that's right is where I live." Sarah said after catching her breath.

"What do you mean child?" Ororo asked.

"I mean that my name is correct, and the address is right but everything else is false. I don't know where you guys found this but it's all wrong."

"Well why don't you tell us what the right info is kid?" Logan demanded.

"My name, as you know, is Sarah Summers. I'm twenty-one years old, just finished high school. I know...I shouldn't be just getting out of high school at twenty-one but there were circumstances beyond my control. It's a long story."

"It is alright. We have plenty of time to listen." Ororo replied.

"Ok. Well, I was only 13 when it happened. My parents never did anything that was too spontaneous but for some reason they decided to take a trip to Washington. They told me about a week before hand. My older sister was supposed to be in charge but that night she went out with one of her friends." Sarah paused not wanting to give them too much information at once.

"Go on." Ororo said wanting to encourage the girl.

"I was watching one of my favorite TV programs when I got the first call. It was from the airport authorities notifying me that there had been a plane crash and there were no survivors. I couldn't think of what to do so I thanked them. Can you believe that? I thanked them! For telling me my parents were dead. After I hung up I tried to call my sister on her cell phone but there was no answer. Then the second call came through. My sister had died on her way to the hospital. She had apparently been attempting to pick up a cell phone and had veered into the path of a semi." Sarah said endeavoring to control herself.

Ororo went over and hugged the girl trying to take a little of the hurt away from her story. Sarah shrugged and shifted so she was more comfortable.

"I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I was in such a state of shock I almost didn't hear the doorbell ring. My aunt who, along with her family, is my only surviving relation had come to help me. At least that's what she called it." Sarah said bitterly.

"What would you call it?" Ororo asked trying to get more information.

"Trying to get my parents money that's what. It was all she was interested in. I had to move in with her since she was my godmother. She insisted that the money that was left to me be put in a trust fund, managed by her of course, to be given to me when I turned twenty-one. Since I was only a minor I couldn't really do anything but accept it. It was ok while the court was still watching to make sure I shouldn't be in a foster home or something like that. As soon as the court stopped watching what she was doing it all went downhill. She started to spend my money on herself and forced me to wear my old clothes even while they were too old and too short. I was still in the same school when I found out I was different. But anyway, we moved away to Michigan, so she could avoid the courts. She changed my name...falsified my information. She renamed me Elizabeth and told the school that I was only 12. I looked it so the school never bothered to ask any questions. I didn't know a lot about what was happening to me at the time. All I knew was that I could somehow sense the ground. I accidentally damaged my school when I got angry one day. I was lucky that no one was injured. Nothing like that had ever happened to me before. I had been angry all the time but my connection with the earth wasn't strong enough for anything to happen I guess. I still don't really know what exactly it is I can do. Anyway, I got angry when some older girl pushed me to the ground and I caused a moderate sized earthquake. Part of the school was damaged. My aunt pulled me out of school. By then I had had enough and ran back to Massachusetts. I stole the money from my aunt while she was out. My aunt was mad about the money but she never tried to find me. I suppose she knows where I am and all but probably is glad to get rid of me. I decided it would cause less confusion if I just stayed the age I was and went back to school. Since I was a minor with no known relatives I had to stay in foster homes until I was eighteen. Fortunately for me they weren't too bad. I just got out of a foster home this year. Sometimes having falsified information is a pain in the ass." Sarah said hoping she hadn't spoken too much.

"What'd ya do then?" Logan asked mind busy processing all the information she was telling them.

"I found out that my parents had left the house in my name. My aunt must've thought it wasn't worth it to try and sell it. I graduated college about a month ago and haven't gotten into any colleges. I didn't want to apply. It didn't seem like the right thing to do somehow." Sarah said softly.

"How have you managed to support yourself?" Ororo asked.

"I get money from the state and that's really all I need to survive. Now I've told you almost everything about me that I can think of. So why are you really here?"

"To help you with your powers." Ororo answered.

"You can do that? You might wanna see what my powers are first." Sarah remarked.

"Yes. That would be most helpful." Ororo commented dryly.

Sarah led them outside to the back of the house. She explained that any changes wouldn't be as evident as they would be on the front lawn. She then proceeded to crouch down and placed her hands on the ground.

She felt her whole body convulsed as her power went to work. She lifted the ground a few feet and placed it back down gently. Then she concentrated bringing herself to an almost meditative state. She was still unable to fully control this facet of her powers but she knew she didn't have to worry about an earthquake or something like that. Slowly but surely the grass beneath her turned brown dying under the weight of her sorrow. When she was done she leaned back tired from the effort.

"Um...all I know about my powers is that I can move the ground and it seems to absorb my emotions. What I mean by that is that it changes with my emotions. If I'm sad I can make grass die. If I get really angry I can cause a moderate disruption. If I'm extremely happy I can make flowers grow where I walk. It gets kind of noticeable if it happens too often so I try and avoid the extreme emotions that it takes. I'm not sure if I can do anything else. Um...how can you help me?" Sarah asked.

"We can take you to a place where there are people like you. You are a mutant, your abilities stem from your genetic makeup. The stress you were under after the death of your immediate family most likely triggered your mutation. We would like you to come with us to our institute." Ororo replied.

"Can I take my dog with me?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah, sure. He'll fit in there too." Logan said with a smile helping Sarah to her feet.

"Alright then. Let me get my things and I'll go." Sarah said with a small smile.

Ororo helped Sarah pack while Logan got Austin ready for the journey. When they got to Sarah's clothes Ororo had to stop herself from gasping, the only good set of clothes Sarah had was on her.

"You do not need to pack any clothes. We can go shopping for some new ones when we arrive." Ororo informed the smaller woman.

"I don't have the money to buy new clothes." Sarah replied flatly.

"The school will pay for them." Ororo replied.

"What? Are you serious?" Sarah asked excitedly.

"I would not say it if I was not." Ororo remarked smiling at Sarah.

"I guess I'm ready then." Sarah replied.

Sarah shouldered her bag and found Logan who had found Austin's leash and was clipping it on his collar. They called a cab and went out to the airport. Once they got there Sarah was confused. The airport was supposedly closed but she had figured that they had phoned ahead and gotten permission to use it for the day. When she couldn't see a plane or anything like that, she became a bit concerned.

"Um...how are we going to get there?" Sarah asked with concern.

"Don't worry, we got that covered." Logan replied bending down a bit.

Suddenly, where there had been nothing before, there was a very large helicopter.

"Wow." Sarah breathed.

Laughing Ororo and Logan climbed in and gestured for her to join them. She climbed on, with a little help from Logan, and soon they were off.

_Hope I'm doing the right thing._ Sarah mused. _Can't believe this is happening to me._ She watched the city fall away and couldn't help feeling that this was the best thing that had happened to her in a long time.


	4. Something Wicked This Way Comes

AN: Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed my story. I was beginning to think that no one would. One other comment: In the last chapter I made two mistakes that I could see: Sarah has just finished high school, NOT college and she was 15 not 13 when her parents were killed. Sorry about that. Anyway here's the next chapter hope you like it. Oh yeah...this chapter is dedicated to my friend Dustin. I told you I'd put you in one of my stories and your help with the fight scenes was invaluable. Thanks.

The sun was setting casting an orange glow over the mansion. The shadows had begun deepening which suited his purpose just fine. He had come here to get some answers but he wasn't about to let anyone know that he was there.

In the helicopter, Austin had decided to lie down near Sarah ignoring the unfamiliarity of his first flight. Sarah was an old pro at flying but she hadn't been on any kind of aircraft since her parents died and she was a little nervous. Nothing that was too bad however and she soon settled down.

Back at the mansion alarms were ringing. _Shit!_ Dustin thought. _I should've known that they'd have some security devices._ Dustin ran towards the bushes trying to hide but couldn't get there in time.

"Stop!" A male voice shouted.

Dustin kept on running hoping to make it to some kind of shelter before the man gave up asking questions and started trying to fight him. Dustin knew he could take the guy but didn't really want the hassle. He was more concerned with his "younger sister." He knew she was somewhere in there and he intended to get her out to safety.

"Sarah. You remarked that you were thirteen at the time of the death of your parents and sister and yet your aunt only made you a year younger. Why would she do that?" Ororo asked slightly confused.

"Huh? Oh...sorry...I must've been spacing out. I said I was thirteen? Oops. I meant fifteen." Sarah remarked pulling her attention from the window.

"Ororo nodded and returned her concentration to piloting the helicopter. They would be there shortly and she couldn't wait to get home.

Dustin felt something slam into his back. He staggered a bit and then, in one fluid motion, drew out his metal staff. He turned to face his attacker and nearly laughed. _This guy thinks he can beat me?_ Dustin laughed to himself. _I bet he doesn't even know how to fight._

Scott had rushed out of the building as soon as the alarms were sounded and was surprised to find a young man running towards the bushes. He started to run after him but soon realized that he wouldn't be able to catch up. He put his hand on his visor and while still running shot a single beam at the intruders back. He was immediately surprised when he was met with a steel staff. _That beam should've brought him to the ground at least. _Scott thought. _There's no way he should be able to fight me._ Scott didn't have time to think any more as the staff came swinging towards his ribcage.

Dustin didn't like to kill anyone unless it was truly necessary so he aimed his strike at something non vital. He was impressed when the guy he was fighting with managed to grab on to his staff. Dustin turned swiftly forcing his opponent to come closer. _This guy might be tougher than I thought. _He mused.

Scott didn't really know what he was doing as he caught the staff. _Damn! _He thought. _Logan's training must've come in handy._

"What do you want?" Scott asked the intruder.

"You know what I want. What did you do to her? Where is she?" Dustin yelled forcing himself even closer.

"I don't know what you mean." Scott grunted trying to hold him off.

"Like hell you don't. Tell me where she is now or I won't play nice anymore." Dustin threatened.

"Who is it you're talking about?" Scott demanded.

"Fine...I can see you want to do this the hard way." Dustin said.

Dustin quickly maneuvered himself away from Scott forcing the other man to drop the staff. As soon as that happened, Dustin came at him again his staff a blur of motion. Scott couldn't do anything except fire on his opponent. He put his hand on his visor and fired at Dustin's fight shoulder. Dustin grunted in pain. His shoulder felt like it was being ripped from its socket but Dustin ignored it and continued his attack. Scott grabbed a hold of the staff once again knowing that he had to hold on. Dustin had shaken him off easily the last time but wasn't so lucky this time.

The helicopter had just touched down in the back of the mansion. The alarms had since shut off and, since Scott happened to be the only one in the mansion on a Saturday night, there was no one to alert them to any problems. Sarah had Austin's leash in one hand and her one bag in the other. Logan offered to take the bag before they got out of the helicopter and Sarah accepted even though she didn't really need the help. As soon as Sarah stepped out of the helicopter she was ripped off her feet. Her dog started running at a frenzied pace towards the front yard. Sarah could only hang on and do her best to keep up with him. As they were about to burst onto the font lawn, Logan managed to get a grip on Austin's leash forcing the dog to stop. Sarah hadn't noticed however. She was too busy staring at the scene unfolding in front of her. She was trying to tell herself it wasn't real, that it couldn't possibly be happening and yet there it was defying her.

Dustin was too busy grappling with Scott to fully notice the new comers. He yanked hard on the staff forcing Scott to him.

"I'll give you one last chance. Where is she?" Dustin growled growing annoyed at his adversary playing dumb.

"I keep telling you I don't know who you're talking about." Scott grunted struggling to pull away.

"Wrong answer" Dustin remarked.

Dustin brought his knee up to Scott's groin in one smooth motion. The other man yelled and collapsed groaning in the grass. Dustin raised his staff unaware that Logan had unsheathed his claws and was moving towards him.

AN: Go10 – Um...looks around Damn it! Where'd the plot go? I told it to show up before I started writing! Sorry...I guess I'll have to make things up until the plot arrives. Glad you like it anyway. Trust me when I say things will start to make more sense sometime soon.pulls out a shot gun Here plot...That's right...I won't hurt you...come on...WHAM There now. drags plot off to write the next chapter


	5. Back From the Dead

AN: Sorry this took so long to post. I was having a hard time figuring out what I wanted to do with it. Oh...I also apologize to all those Scott fans out there. *crickets chirp* Um...I guess there aren't any Scott fans reading this. *shrugs* Go figure. One other thing...I apologize for all the new Dustin fans...you'll see what I mean when you read this chapter. Don't worry though he'll kick Scott's ass again sometime in the future. Anyway...on with the story!

Sarah was still a bit dumbfounded. This couldn't be happening. Stuff like this doesn't happen to people like her. He couldn't be alive. It was impossible. There was just now way it was true. Then she watched an all too real Logan swipe his claws across the metal thing, correction staff, Dustin was swinging around. _And just where did those come from?_ She thought. Sarah watched as Dustin's staff was cut in half. Dustin, unwilling to give up, threw one of the pieces at Logan. Logan dodged it easily and moved closer to Dustin. As Logan was about to strike Sarah's emotions spilled over.

"NO! Damn it! I said No!" Sarah yelled furiously.

As she yelled the ground let loose with a tremor of enormous size. Everyone, with the exception of Sarah herself, was thrown onto the ground. Logan was forced a good ways from where he had been. Dustin staggered towards Sarah and fell, landing on a rock. Ororo found herself thrown towards the mansion. She used her powers to land on the roof without getting hurt. Fortunately the institute had survived worse than this and the only damage to the grounds were the ornate statuary in the front lawn near where they were standing which crumbled. Sarah didn't notice any of this. She was hell bent on one thing. She could see it gleaming there in the grass. She wanted some answers and she was going to get them damn it.

Ororo was about to fly down and help when Sarah leapt cat-like, landing on Dustin with a solid thump. Dustin groaned a little at the impact but it wasn't really that bad, as she only weighed 100 pounds. What he didn't realize in his slightly dazed state was that she held half of a metal pole in her hand and she was ready and willing to use it. _Maybe my help is not necessary. _Ororo thought amused.

"Alright! I want some answers and I want them now!" Sarah screamed brandishing the pole.

"Sarah what're you talking about?" Dustin asked still trying to figure out what was going on.

"Don't give me that bullshit Dustin. You know what the hell I'm talking about!" Sarah said making sure he could see the pole.

"Look...I'm a little confused here. Why do you have half of my staff in your hand?" Dustin asked.

"Because, you were a dumb ass and decided to attack these people." Sarah replied.

"Ah...I see. You're safe?" Dustin asked not really paying any attention to the pole.

"Yeah. No thanks to you!" Sarah said angrily.

"Whatever. Some people don't realize when they're being saved from impending doom." Dustin replied trying to keep Sarah talking until he could think of a way to get her off him without hurling her into a tree.

"Impending doom? Does this look like impending doom to you? I came here for a reason you know!" Sarah replied incredulously.

"What reason? So they could use you to hunt and kill other mutants?" Dustin demanded getting just as angry.

"How would you know anything? Maybe I came here because I _want_ to hunt mutants? But you wouldn't know that because you didn't talk to me or even tell me you were alive for **FIVE FUCKING YEARS**!" Sarah screamed in Dustin's ear.

"OW! It's not like I had a choice ya know!" Dustin yelled back.

"Yeah I'm sure Michigan is so dangerous and you've been so busy that you couldn't write to me at all." Sarah scoffed.

"Well maybe it was." Dustin tried to defend himself.

"**BULLSHIT**!" Sarah roared as she swung the pole at his head.

Dustin's head rolled to the side with a sickening thump when the pole connected. A large bruise formed on his right temple. Sarah blinked, looked down and her hand and dropped the piece of metal as if it were on fire.

"Dustin?" Sarah asked shaking her friend.

_No, no, no. This is all a dream...that's right just a bad dream...I didn't really hit my best friend over the head with a metal pipe possibly killing him._ Sarah shut her eyes. _When I open my eyes again I will look down and he won't be there. It will only be my imagination. _Sarah snapped open her eyes and grimaced when she realized it wasn't a dream_._

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit." Sarah said repeating it like a mantra.

With all the emotions coursing through her she was surprised that she wasn't causing another earthquake. _I guess I can only do so much._ She thought. The world was doing funny things though and right now she didn't really trust herself to stand. Plus she was too worried about Dustin to really move. _What if I've really killed him?_ Sarah thought miserably. _I didn't think I could hit that hard. Wow...um..._. She barely noticed the arms that picked her off of Dustin. In fact, she didn't notice that she had fallen off of him and had been picked up off the ground. Nor did she realize that she _had_ caused another earthquake. She was too far gone by then.

"Can somebody stop the ride? I wanna get off now." Sarah mumbled not realizing she had said the words out loud.

The last thing she saw was Dustin lying, unmoving, on the grass. Her body finally decided that it had had enough and she passed out.


	6. Waking Up is Hard to Do

AN: Yay! Next chapter posted! I'm really sorry that it's taking so long to get to the meat of the story but I have to get the characters slightly settled in first. I'm pretty sure things will heat up in the next chapter or two.

MidnightRebel: Sarah should scare you a bit. Don't worry; she won't be so violent in the future (at least towards her friends).

The Pebble: If I told you it would ruin the suspense. Suffice it to say that Sarah's not really that strong when it comes to hitting people. She's not normally violent but hey, if an extremely close friend of yours showed up after letting you think he was dead for 5 years wouldn't you be pissed? By the way...you'll find out how Dustin is doing in the next chapter.

Sarah groaned. Where was she and why did her head feel like it was trying to split in half? She didn't dare open her eyes, as the bright light was too much for her even with her eyes squeezed shut. The lights ruled out any possibility of her being in her room but failed to answer where on earth she was. She reached a hand out and could feel a cold metal railing. _That's odd_. Sarah thought. _I don't remember having steel near me._ Sarah stretched her other hand out experimentally and found that there was another metal railing on the other side. _Am I in a hospital or something? _Sarah wondered. Her head was still throbbing making her feel rather ill but Sarah knew she wouldn't figure anything out until she opened her eyes.

Sarah immediately groaned loudly and shut her eyes again throwing her arm up to cover them. _I should remember not to look directly into lights like that. _Muttering a few curses Sarah gingerly rolled onto her side making sure not to disturb any of the wires she could now feel connected to her. When she judged that she was turned enough so that she wouldn't look directly into the lights she opened her eyes again.

She was, in a word, impressed. The hospital or whatever it was she was in was huge. It was also apparently well supplied. Sarah could see rows of tubes bottles and IV bags; some neatly stored some, well, not. She could see a large man, at least she guessed that was what he was, but it was hard to tell with the masses of blue fur that covered him. Sarah would have been frightened but she was still trying to fight off what she could only describe as the world's worst hangover. Memory came flooding back and she looked around hoping she'd see Dustin there. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him lying in a similar bed next to hers. He was all right. That was good, because she still hadn't gotten her answers.

Henry McCoy had been startled from his research when he heard a faint sigh. Figuring that one of his patients was up he strolled over to the beds to see which of his patients had regained consciousness. He didn't really know much about the two people who were benefiting from his medical care. He had tested their blood and they were both mutants but the girl's blood had another genetic anomaly in it. He knew about genetics, but he hadn't really seen anything like this before. He supposed it didn't matter though. He would be able to ask the girl when she woke up.

Sarah saw the doctor approaching but she let him get to the beds before showing any signs that she was conscious.

"Um...who are you and why do you have blue fur?" Sarah asked.

"Ah...you're awake. That's good." Henry said cheerfully.

"Would you mind trying to keep it down a little? I've got the world's worst headache." Sarah grumbled.

"That would more than likely be an after effect of your passing out." Henry stated.

"Ok...that makes sense. But you still haven't told me who you are or why you have blue fur." Sarah reminded the strange man.

"Oh yes. Forgive me. My name is Dr. Henry McCoy, but you may call me Henry. As you may have guessed from my title I am the resident doctor for the mansion. My fur is this lovely shade of blue due to my mutation." Henry informed his "guest."

"Oh...ok...Um...I'm Sarah. Logan and Ororo brought me here. Then the dumb ass over there came and ruined it." Sarah said jerking her thumb in Dustin's direction.

"I see. I assume you know him from somewhere?" Henry inquired.

"Yeah. I met him when I moved to Michigan. We were really close there and he sorta became an older brother to me. Helped me out a lot even when my mutation caused some trouble. He helped me get back to Massachusetts. I thought he was dead until I saw him fighting with a guy who wore really odd sunglasses." Sarah replied.

"That would more than likely be Scott. He is the leader around here along with Ororo. I must say that he is very vexed with your friend and even more vexed that Professor Xavier, the man who runs this institute, cannot return to deal with the two of you." Henry said with a hint of amusement.

Sarah smiled a little. She kinda liked the big, blue, furry guy. He was funny and reminded her of her father.

"So...would it be all right with you if I checked your vitals?" Henry asked with a twinkle in his eye.

"Do what you gotta do." Sarah replied smiling.

"Um...is Dustin gonna be all right?" Sarah asked after a few minutes.

"Well...he has not regained consciousness but I am sure he'll be just fine." Henry reassured her.

"Oh...by the way...I'm Sarah." Sarah said mildly embarrassed.

"A pleasure to meet you." Henry replied.

After a minute or so longer, Henry informed Sarah that she was perfectly fine. He cleared her to leave the med lab and promised to let her know when her friend woke up.

"Just one question before you go." Henry said.

"Shoot." Sarah replied turning to look at him.

"You're blood, when I tested it, showed the genetic anomaly of your mutation but it also showed another genetic difference." Henry informed Sarah.

"Oh...that...I have Turner's Syndrome." Sarah informed him.

"Ah...That's what it is. I knew it was something I had studied but had not seen in real life before." Henry mused.

"It's no big deal." Sarah quickly stated.

"Well it could very well affect your mutation." Henry said.

"How could it possibly do that?" Sarah asked incredulously.

"I'm not quite sure myself. I'll have to research it some more." Henry informed her.

"Oh. Ok. Well I'm going to go see if you guys keep any decent food around here." Sarah replied as she headed out of the lab.

"I'll let you know if I find anything." Henry assured her as she reached the door.

"Thanks." Sarah said as she went to go find the kitchen.

AN: I know this is short and I apologize for that. I apologize once again for the fact that nothing has happened to give you guys a clue as to what's going on. I promise that next chapter I'll start to explain what Dustin's doing attacking the X-Men and all that. Please stick with this story and read and review!


	7. Questions and Chaperones

AN: I'm really sorry this took so long to post. My muses deserted me and then tried to give me a piece of crap for a chapter. So before I could post this I had to get a kick in the butt and fix it.

MidnightRebel: Turner's Syndrome is a genetic condition that basically makes you shorter than other people and, in most cases, results in infertility. That's just a base definition though, hope that helps. Don't worry...Dustin will be making an appearance in this chapter though I can't promise answers to what he's doing at the mansion. I hope you like this chapter.

B Oots: I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Hopefully you'll like this chapter too!

Sarah was about to walk down the hall when she realized that something was off. She could feel a draft on her back that really shouldn't have been there. _Wait a minute...am I wearing my clothes? _She wondered. Everything was still a bit fuzzy and she was still trying to bring her mind up to speed, so she wasn't too surprised when she reached down and felt the fabric of a hospital gown. _Great, just great...I bet I look absolutely lovely in this. _Sarah grumbled. _Oh jeez...I bet I didn't ask where the kitchen was either. _Sarah groaned as she lightly smacked herself on the forehead for being such an idiot. Turning around she went back into the med lab blushing furiously.

"Um...I'm sorry to barge back in like this but...Do you know where my clothes are?" Sarah asked.

"Ah yes...I was wondering how long it would take you to figure that out." Henry said shaking with barely contained laughter.

"Well, I'd like to see you try and wake up after you've passed out and see how well you do when you first wake up." Sarah replied slightly annoyed at the doctor's amusement.

"Forgive me." Henry said as he bent to retrieve something from a nearby chair, "Here are your clothes and would you like directions to the dining area?" Henry asked no longer keeping his laughter in check.

"That'd be nice." Sarah replied as she walked over and snatched her clothes out of the doctor's hands, "Is there someplace I can change around here?" She asked looking around the lab.

"Yes, of course." Henry replied as he led her over to an unmarked bathroom.

"Thanks." Sarah said as she closed the door.

When Sarah came out she was feeling much better. Having normal clothes on was helping her mood a bit though food would help even more. She listened to the directions Henry gave her, which were simple enough. As she was about to leave she spotted a movement from the corner of her eye.

"Dustin?" Sarah asked.

An answering groan issued forth from the bed that Dustin was kept in. When Henry heard that his patient was awake he gently moved Sarah who had taken up a post by the bed rail and checked on Dustin's vitals.

"Well, everything appears to be in order. You got one knock on the head there." Henry told his patient.

"Huh? Where am I? Oh wait...never mind, I remember. Sarah you are in such deep shit once I get out of this bed." Dustin said looking over at her.

"Yeah, right, whatever. You know you wouldn't hurt me." Sarah teased glad to have her friend back.

"Don't be too sure about that one." Dustin said glaring at her.

"Stop threatening me and tell me what you're doing here in the first place." Sarah replied.

"I would but I can't right now." Dustin explained.

"Why's that?" Sarah asked.

"Because there's someone else in the room." Dustin slowly explained as if she were two years old.

"Speaking of that someone else I have a few questions for you." Henry stated.

"Go ahead." Dustin replied.

"First of all...what are you doing here?" Henry asked.

"Didn't you hear me tell Sarah that I wasn't gonna tell her with someone else in the room?" Dustin snapped.

"I did but I'm not the type who gives up easily." Henry replied.

"Fine, fine. I'm here because I'm trying to make sure Sarah's safe." Dustin grumbled.

"Fair enough. Next question...Who are you?" Henry asked.

"My names Dustin. The only thing you need to know about me is that I'm Sarah's friend." Dustin replied.

"She told me that already so I believe you. Third question...What is your mutation?" Henry asked.

"How do you know I'm a mutant and not a normal human?" Dustin countered.

"I did some blood tests while you were unconscious." Henry replied.

"Oh. Well, I can control water." Dustin stated.

"I see." Henry said.

"Anything else?" Dustin asked.

"Yes...How are you feeling?" Henry asked.

"Like shit. My head hurts and my stomach's upset. Other than that though I don't feel too bad." Dustin quipped.

"Good. That means you can feel free to leave to lab with supervision of course." Henry retorted.

"Great. That mean you're gonna baby sit me?" Dustin grumbled.

"That is the general idea." Henry replied.

"Um...I could watch him and make sure he doesn't cause any trouble." Sarah suggested.

"I'm sorry but since you are his friend there is a conflict of interest there." Henry gently reprimanded her.

"Oh...right. Well Dustin...I don't know about you but I'm starved. Wanna get some grub?" Sarah asked.

"Does he have to come with us?" Dustin asked annoyed.

"Yes." Henry replied grinning at Dustin's obvious discomfort.

"You heard the man." Sarah said.

"Fine. Let's go." Dustin replied unhappily.

"Um...you might wanna put some regular clothes on." Sarah informed her friend grinning.

"Yeah...right. Um...where are they?" Dustin asked.

"Right here." Henry replied handing Dustin his clothes.

"Great." Dustin said as he grabbed his clothes and headed to the bathroom that Henry pointed out to him.

Once Dustin had changed they all made their way to the kitchen to get some food.


	8. Privacy Please

AN: This story has been having a problem with being written lately. That and the fact that I've been running around trying to get everything set so I can transfer to a different college come spring.

Red-X: Don't worry about it. Yeah...Dustin doesn't necessarily like his chaperone but eh...it made that last chapter end on a funny note. I haven't quite decided what Turner's Syndrome will do to Sarah's mutation but we'll see what happens as I write more. Who knows...I may actually start revealing some of the answers to your burning questions!

CyborgSmeet: Thanks! I try. I hope you keep reviewing. Who knows this story may actually get somewhere soon!

Dustin had grumbled all the way to the kitchen. He did **NOT **want a chaperone, especially not one that insisted on being so damn perky. Wasn't the beating Sarah had given him enough? Upon thinking that, Dustin glared over at Sarah who answered him with a wicked grin. _I bet he's so mad he can barely think straight. _Sarah thought. Sarah started humming a little just to annoy him further.

"If you don't stop humming you're gonna regret it." Dustin warned.

"What do ya mean Dustin?" Sarah asked trying to play innocent.

"You know what I mean so cut it out!" Dustin grumbled frustrated.

"Alright, alright, I'll stop. I didn't mean to make you so upset." Sarah replied feeling a tad bit remorseful.

"You know you're the reason I got into this shit in the first place." Dustin mumbled forgetting their chaperone.

"Um...aside from knocking you out I fail to see how I forced you here." Sarah replied testily.

"Simple. You're in danger...I go to find you and find out you've gone off with a bunch of people you don't even know. I thought you were smarter than that." Dustin explained.

"Right. So, this is all my fault because you had to go all over-protective-older-brother on me." Sarah said slowly.

"I was not being over protective. Damn it you don't even know what kind of people are after you!" Dustin screamed.

"Maybe that's because you haven't told me!" Sarah replied angrily barely able to maintain enough control to stop the ground from moving.

"Did you ever think that that's because I don't know exactly who they are?" Dustin asked calming himself a bit.

"So you just come back into my life after five years without saying a word to me and expect me to listen to you?" Sarah asked incredulously.

"Yes." Dustin replied.

"God...I can't believe this! You can't tell me where you've been because you don't trust the people here, you say there are people out to get me but you can't tell me who they are...what the fuck is this some sort of cheap spy movie?" Sarah asked frustrated.

"Look...I'm sorry that I couldn't contact you for so long. I'm sorry I can't tell you where I was. I'm extremely sorry that I don't know exactly who's after you. Hell...I don't even know what they want from you...I just know that it has something to do with your mutation." Dustin whispered, becoming more aware of their chapreone.

"Dr. McCoy?" Sarah asked.

"Yes?" Henry replied.

"Would it be ok if Dustin and I could go someplace private to talk? You could stand outside and make sure we don't leave but we really need to talk without someone else in the room." Sarah requested.

"I suppose that would be acceptable." Henry replied leading them to a small room near where they were standing.

"Thanks." Sarah said.

AN: I know, I know. I'm evil. Don't worry though next chapter will finally present a chance for our friends to have a heart to heart conversation. And believe me Dustin's got some explaining to do. Also occurring next chapter...the introduction of the evil villan...I hope. I'm trying to convince him to come out. He's a bit shy which is one reason why this story is developing so slowly. The other reason is that I'm trying to take my time and develop the characters. I hope you guys continue to think it's worth reading.


	9. Explinations and Agreements

AN: I'm so beyond sorry that this took so long for me to get out there. I realize that it's been months since I updated but with all the insanity that comes with the holiday season not to mention trying to find somewhere to live near my new college, Bridgewater State, I haven't been able to write much. That and the fact that I was having problems figuring out what I wanted to do with the story. I still haven't figured that all out yet but it'll come in time. Anyway...I hope this chapter is worth the wait.

Sarah looked around the room, unsure about what to say to Dustin. She had all of these questions she was dying to ask but she couldn't think of which one she should start with.

"Um...so you're obviously not dead...why haven't you written to me at all?" Sarah asked.

"I already told you I wasn't in a good place to do that." Dustin replied.

"That tells me jack shit about what's been going on with you these past five years. If you're not going to tell me everything than I'm gonna leave." Sarah threatened.

"Fine, fine. I didn't really want to get into this but if you insist. I was minding my own business, about 3 days after you left, when out of nowhere some thugs start trying to beat on me. I fought with them, and might've won, but reinforcements came. They eventually knocked me out. When I woke up I was in some strange warehouse type facility. Your uncle approached me." Dustin started

"Wait a minute...my uncle?!" Sarah asked shocked.

"Your uncle. He told me that I had two choices...either join him and hunt for mutants or refuse and be tortured. Of course I refused. I'm not gonna describe what they did. It's not really important. Anyway, it turns out that they wanted you for something. When I busted out of there I was able to obtain a file. It contained information about a group of mutants called the X-Men...I think your friends and our chaperone are part of that little group. Anyway...what I read about them once I had escaped seemed to make them out to be associated with your uncle in some way shape or form. I got worried about you so I came looking for you figuring you were being held inside their mansion. And you know the rest." Dustin finished.

"Ok...I suppose I can believe that my uncle's a mutant hunter. Lord knows he would've loved to have gotten rid of me before I was able to run away. But if he wanted me so badly, why didn't he come and get me in Worcester? I mean it's not like I was really making an effort to hide myself." Sarah replied.

"Simple. Why do the dirty work when you can have someone else do it for you?" Dustin responded.

"You know I don't think these X-Men are with my uncle on anything. I mean how do you know the data you got from that file is real?" Sarah asked.

"How do you know it's not?" Dustin countered.

"Because I know my uncle better than that. You coming to this mansion is probably something he had planned on. What better way to get you to come here than to make you think that the X-Men are enemies and have me in custody?" Sarah replied.

"Ok you got me there but what're we gonna do about it?" Dustin asked.

"Well...it seems that my uncle wants us here...but it also seems like we'd be safest here since there's strength in numbers. The two people who brought me here seemed like they could give anyone my uncle sent more than a run for their money." Sarah mused.

"Yeah but can we trust them?" Dustin asked.

"Do we really have a choice?" Sarah countered.

"I guess not...since we don't even know how your uncle's gonna be coming at us."

"That's why I think we should talk with them. If they're in for a fight they should have some warning first and they might have more experience with this sort of shit than we do." Sarah said.

"Alright. But I think we should only tell the ones who brought you here." Dustin remarked.

"That's good enough for me. I don't think I trust anyone else even though Henry, the blue furry guy, seems nice enough."

Having come to an agreement, Sarah and Dustin headed out of the room and rejoined Henry to go to the kitchen.


	10. Closing In

AN: I just want to apologize to the people who are reading this fic for not being good and for taking over a month to post anything. I've been so consumed with getting into Bridgewater State College in Bridgewater, MA that I haven't been truly able to update lately! Anyway...thanks are owed to Darlin, who made me realize that people still wanted to read this little fic and to Cyborg Smeet, who's review convinced me to post this chapter as soon as possible. Here it is and I hope you like it.

"Have you found anything concerning the whereabouts of my niece yet?" The tall, imposing man asked.

"Um...no sir...she appears to have vanished without a trace sir." The young man replied hanging his head in a mixture of shame and fear.

"I begin to wonder if we have been searching in the right places then." The man mused.

"Permission to speak freely sir?" The young man asked timidly.

"Yes...what is it?" The other man asked mildly bored.

"Well...sir...I'm wondering if she might not be with those other mutants...you know...the ones that call themselves the X-Men?" The younger man suggested.

"Hmm...that is a possibility that I have ignored until now." The man remarked.

"Should we check in to the possibility sir?" The younger man queried.

"Do so. I want someone on the inside as soon as possible. Though she may not be there now...I believe my niece will eventually try and contact these X-Men regardless." The man ordered.

Back at the institute Sarah was looking forward to finally getting a decent meal and possibly going shopping. She also knew that in all likely hood Dustin wouldn't want to go, at least not clothes shopping, but would probably tag along anyway to try and keep an eye on her. Sarah made a face at the thought and the smell that was emanating from the kitchen. _Yuck...eggs..._Sarah thought making a face. Sarah couldn't stand eggs. All they did was smell bad and make her sick. _I hope they have something else to eat._ She thought annoyed.


	11. Eggs and Other Things

AN: Once again I apologize for taking so long. Schoolwork is a bitch! Thanks go to MidnightRebel for the fabulous review. Hope this chapter's up to par.

Sarah's stomach grumbled, ignoring the fact that the smell of eggs usually made her queasy. As Sarah stepped into the kitchen she saw Storm sitting at the table sipping from a mug presumably filled with either coffee or tea. Wolverine, oddly enough, was at the stove cooking some eggs. Sarah could only assume from the various meats and vegetables chopped up on the counter that he was cooking an omelet.

"So…see ya found your way into the kitchen." Logan commented.

"You could say that." Sarah replied.

"Hey is this a private gathering or may any of us join in?" Henry quipped.

"Please come and join us Hank." Ororo replied smiling.

"Don't mind if I do. By the way, what are you cooking Logan?" Henry asked.

"What's it look like to you, bub?" Logan replied grumpily.

"Well…if it's an omelet it's certainly like nothing I've ever seen." Henry replied.

"I don't care what it is so long as I can eat it." Dustin broke in.

"Dustin…you'd actually eat that?" Sarah asked incredulously.

"Don't see anything wrong with it." Dustin remarked.

"Yeah…don't see anything wrong with this thing." Logan added.

"It's got eggs in it, not to mention some of the other things that appear to be in it." Sarah replied.

"You dumb ass it's supposed to have eggs in it. It's an omelet!" Dustin remarked.

"Anyone can see that much. I just can't believe you guys eat eggs!" Sarah replied indignantly.

"Whatever. Hey…can I have some?" Dustin asked Logan.

"Sure…the ingredients are in the fridge…feel free to make your own." Logan replied.

"Logan…that's not very nice. These people are our guests after all." Ororo remarked.

"Since when have we ever made guests breakfast?" Logan asked sulkily.

"I suppose we never have." Ororo replied.

"That's not a problem…just show me where the food's kept and I'll get myself something to eat." Sarah remarked.

"There's cereal in the cupboard over by the sink, there's other breakfast things in the refrigerator." Ororo replied.

"Thanks" Sarah said and went to the cupboard for some cereal.

After she found what she wanted Sarah settled down to eat. All of the sudden though she had this monstrous craving for, of all things, eggs.

"Of all the things I could be craving…it had to be eggs." Sarah grumbled as she went over to the refrigerator and picked out two medium sized eggs.

After a bit of rummaging, Sarah was able to find everything she needed to cook her two eggs. _Really of all the things…does my body hate me or what? _Sarah thought.

"Hey, I thought you didn't like eggs." Dustin remarked.

"I don't." Sarah replied flatly.

"Then why are ya making them?" Logan asked.

"Because for some reason my body craves them." Sarah replied testily.

"Do you normally get cravings for eggs every now and then?" Henry asked.

"No…this is completely new to me." Sarah replied.

"Hm…that's a bit odd, your body's probably going through some changes." Hank remarked.

"Great…I sound like I'm going through puberty all over again." Sarah quipped.

"You always sound like you're going through puberty." Dustin teased.

"Yeah, Yeah…whatever." Sarah replied as she finished cooking her eggs.

Surprisingly enough Sarah finished her eggs with gusto leaving her plate almost empty. _This is officially getting weird. _Sarah thought after she had finished the eggs. Almost immediately afterwards the reaction Sarah knew was coming took effect. Her stomach started cramping up so badly that it was hard for her to move. Her discomfort must have shown on her face because everyone wanted to know if she was all right.

"I'll be fine. It'll pass." Sarah grunted.

"No wonder you don't like eggs." Dustin commented.

"No shit Sherlock. You think I'm really that much of a fussy eater?" Sarah grumbled.

In about a few minutes, the stomach pains subsided, leaving Sarah grateful that they hadn't been worse.

"Um…I don't mean to seem rude or anything like that but would it be possible to get to a mall today. I didn't bring any clothes with me except for the ones I'm wearing." Sarah asked.

"Oh, of course. I almost forgot that you needed supplies still." Ororo replied.

"Great. Um…who's going to be taking me?" Sarah asked.

"Well…I was thinking that I could go with you in order to purchase the things you need and I was hoping that Logan would be willing to drive us there." Ororo stated.

"Forget it Darlin'. I ain't driving you to the mall." Logan replied.

"You would be doing me a huge favor if you drove us Logan." Ororo pleaded.

"I hate the mall. You of all people should know that." Logan replied.

"You wouldn't even have to leave the car." Ororo wheedled.

"All right, all right. If it means that much to ya." Logan replied giving in.

"I guess I'll go. Wouldn't want anything to happen to you." Dustin remarked unenthusiastically.

"Aw…you're so sweet Dustin." Sarah remarked sarcastically.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I know." Dustin replied.

All right then, shall we go?" Ororo asked.

"Sure." Sarah replied.

"May as well get this over with." Logan remarked.

"That goes double for me. Sarah you owe me for this." Dustin replied.

"Aw…is the big baby afraid of the big bad mall?" Sarah teased.

"You wish." Dustin replied.

"Hank, do you want to come with us?" Ororo asked.

"Thank you for the offer, but I think I'll stay right here." Henry replied.

"Smart man." Dustin and Logan remarked.

The group was soon headed out the door, two of them looking forward to their shopping and two of them dreading the time they would be forced to waste.


	12. Just Your Run of the Mill, Everyday Mall...

AN: Yes, I know, there are many stories with mall trips. Unfortunately, since Sarah didn't have any decent clothing, this mall trip is necessary. Anyway, I'm trying to be a bit different, but it's not easy. Hope you like it.

Sarah exited the car, stretching her back out as she walked towards the mall. Ororo climbed out as soon as the van had stopped, looking like she was almost looking forward to the shopping trip. Dustin looked like he wanted to kill someone and Logan, well, he just looked like he was being tortured. Sarah smiled to herself thinking about how much fun it was gonna be to drag Dustin around the mall with her. Suddenly, she realized that she was being left behind and so ran to catch up.

A couple hours and many clothes later, Sarah had gotten to the one part she really didn't want to have to do with Dustin. It was bad enough that she had to buy underwear with someone she didn't know that well, like Ororo, but having Dustin tag along was adding a whole other level of discomfort. Sarah steeled herself for pretty well anything as she entered the store.

Sarah had been trying on bras when the trouble started. She had finished checking out and was going to find Dustin, Ororo already being with her, and leave the store. As she neared the section where most of the men were milling around, (AN: You know, the section were all the lacy, frilly, satiny, skimpy sleepwear is that you'd only buy something from if you either were a girl who wanted to impress her significant other or a guy who wanted to buy something for a significant other) she could hear Dustin's voice loud and clear and what she heard made her wince inwardly.

"Hey, I don't think they make that in your size." Dustin mocked the man he recalled fighting earlier.

"For your information...this is for my wife, and...hey...wait a minute!" Scott replied, "You're the one who..." He let the sentence trail off.

"Yep...that's me." Dustin replied cheerfully.

"Why you...I ought to..." Scott yelled through gritted teeth.

"Come on Scott...you don't want to do this...I know you are better than that." Ororo said placing a hand on his chest to restrain him.

"He might not want to but I sure as hell do." Dustin remarked.

"Kuku*! Dustin, can't I leave you alone for one minute without you picking a fight?" Sarah replied exasperatedly as she stepped in between Dustin and Scott.

"Aw, come on Sarah, I had so much fun when I beat him up last time!" Dustin whined.

"Grow up Dustin. Don't you remember that's the reason I beat you up?" Sarah replied.

"You're not letting me have any fun!" Dustin complained.

"Keep talking and I'll make sure you get yours in the end." Scott threatened as he fumed behind Ororo.

"Any time." Dustin replied.

"Let me go Ororo...I'm not gonna do anything while we're in a mall." Scott promised.

"All right. Both of you should know better. Next time you might want to try behaving like gentlemen instead of children." Ororo scolded.

"If you two have caused enough attention to be drawn to me for one day...I think I'm finished shopping." Sarah ground out sarcastically as she walked out of the store with her purchases.

"Sarah...I'm sorry." Dustin said trying to sound meek.

"Save it Dustin. I can't believe you'd bait him like that. As I recall when we showed up he was about to kick your ass." Sarah remarked curtly.

"Come on Sarah...I didn't mean anything by it." Dustin begged.

"Ok, ok, I forgive you but grow up for crying out loud!" Sarah exclaimed fighting a smile.

After another half hour, they were ready to head back. Sarah wasn't too sure about some of the purchases Ororo had recommended she buy but then again she had felt like she couldn't refuse her. After all, it was her money that was paying for it all.

When they got back to the mansion Sarah ran out of the car as fast as her legs would carry her.

"I'm such a bad owner! I can't believe I forgot Austin!" Sarah half yelled half groaned.

At the sound of his name Austin came running up, happier than ever to see his owner. Sarah was about to thank the man who had walked out of the house, as he obviously had taken care of Austin when she noticed exactly who he was.

"U-uncle? W-what are you doing here?" Sarah asked alarmed and confused.

Dustin stepped in between her and her uncle glaring his hatred for the man who had kept him captive for five years.

"I'm glad you asked that Sarah. It turns out that you're worth something to your aunt and I after all." Sarah's uncle replied smoothly.

"If you think I'd ever help you...you're wrong!" Sarah spat out.

"I do not know who you are, but I suggest you leave and cease to threaten this girl." Ororo stated flatly, conjuring a breeze to emphasize her point.

"I don't really know her that well but I sure as hell ain't gonna let you just take her with you, whoever you say you are." Logan stated, unsheathing his claws.

"It appears that everyone is set against me. Although Dustin, I noticed you've remained unusually silent. Don't you care about Sarah?" Sarah's uncle asked.

"Didn't think I needed to say anything to an asshole like you –sorry Sarah—Figured you'd know what I'm gonna do." Dustin remarked.

"Ah...I do indeed, which is why I brought this." Sarah's uncle countered pulling a small gray box from his coat pocket.

"What the? dajko* Pandi?" Sarah asked, confused.

"I see you don't remember what this is. Allow me then to demonstrate. I believe the memories will come back to you." Pandi replied with an eager light in his eyes.

AN: Oh my! I left you with a cliffie! I'm so evil!

*Kuku means "God damnit" or "Oh God" in Albanian. Dakjo means uncle in Albanian. And yes, Sarah is half Albanian though I didn't mention it before.


	13. Button Pushing

AN: I'm doing my best to make this story exciting. It's not easy to be original when many other people have written the same kind of story as you before. I hope I'm at least somewhat successful. Anyway...here's the next chapter. Hope you all enjoy it!

"You're not doing anything to her you son of a bitch!" Dustin yelled as he attempted to use his powers to emphasize his point.

"Do you really think I would just come here without having some sort of contingency plan in place?" Pandi asked.

"Just because you aren't affected by my powers doesn't mean you won't be affected by this!" Dustin roared picking up a conveniently located tree branch.

"Pitiful." Pandi scoffed.

Dustin suddenly felt a shooting pain in his hands, forcing him to drop the branch.

"What the fuck did you do to me?" Dustin asked enraged.

"I thought you would remember...after all you were with me for five years." Pandi mused.

"I may have been with you but you weren't able to bring me over to your side were you?" Dustin ground out.

"This is unfortunately true but it's not you I'm concerned with any more." Pandi said.

"Kuku! Would you just get this shit over with already! Just push the damn button!" Sarah exclaimed.

"As you insist dear niece." Pandi replied.

As he pushed the button a rift appeared on both sides of Sarah separating her from her friends. Sarah was unable to even register this fact, as she was oblivious to everything except the blinding pain coursing through her. A small gasp escaped from her lips. She curled onto her side in an attempt to lessen the pain.

"What the fuck did you do to her?" Dustin asked.

"It's simple really. The operation we forced Sarah to undergo when she was first brought into our custody is allowing me, through this device, to control her powers. I've merely made it so that anything that happens to harm the earth in her immediate vicinity hurts her." Pandi explained calmly.

"I...won't...help...you...ever!" Sarah managed to grind out.

"Oh good...I was hoping you'd be unwilling to help me. This will make it so much more fun for me." Pandi replied with glee.

AN: On boy! Another cliffie!


End file.
